Expert Advice on Home Improvement

As I inspect and repot my houseplants in early spring, I often find plants that seem to fall “in the middle,” not quite needing repotting but still wanting some attention. In cases like this, top-dressing is a great alternative to repotting, and it’s quite easy. Here’s how. Read in full.

We’re all familiar with the idea of mulching our flower gardens, so why not also mulch your houseplants? Read on to find out how to put the finishing touch on your indoor gardens using houseplant friendly mulch. Read in full.

Late winter/early spring is a great time to repot houseplants since they’re getting ready to begin their spring growth spurt, and we gardeners are so stir crazy that we’re looking for a good reason to get our hands dirty! Here’s what you need to know to successfully repot your houseplants. Read in full.

Beth asks, “How do I encourage my indoor cactus plant to bloom? It was blooming when I bought it, but it hasn’t bloomed since.”

Desert cacti are a challenge to get to bloom indoors, simply because we can’t provide as much light as a sun-drenched desert. However, here are some tips for encouraging your cactus to bloom. Read in full.

Once the holidays come to an end, many of us find ourselves with a lovely assortment of poinsettias that we guiltily throw in the trash during the great post-holiday cleanup. This year, why not practice a little year-round cheer and keep your poinsettias as houseplants? They’re beautiful, lush plants, and you’ve never received a holiday gift quite as special as coaxing a poinsettia into bloom. Read on to find out more. Read in full.

If you’re trying to grow houseplants indoors, you’ll find that some rooms of your house are low in natural light. Sunlight is the perfect balance of wavelengths necessary for plant growth and blooming, but you can also use artificial light to help your plants along. Here’s what you need to know to supplement your houseplants with artificial light. Read in full.

Houseplants can filter toxins and pollutants in stale indoor air and replace carbon dioxide with oxygen. Even though almost any plant can do this, some plants are better than others, especially when it comes to having them in your home. Watch this video to find out more. Watch this video.

Now that the weather’s getting cooler, my houseplants are beginning to protest a little – they know that they belong in the tropics, and they’re not too keen on spending their winters in an artificially heated climate. Read on for some tips on how to help your houseplants make it through the winter. Read in full.

Find out how household products from baby shampoo and corn syrup to sugar and soft drinks can be used to nurture plants and improve soil. Watch this video.

The weather’s getting cooler, and if you sent your houseplants indoors for a summer vacation, now’s the time to settle them indoors before winter sets in. Read on for some tips to bringing your plants indoors. Read in full.